Episode 199: Behind the Scenes on a Porn Set
June 20, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes when porn is filmed? There's a lot more that goes into it than you might think! In today's show, I'm...
Episode 198: The Rise of Ethical and Feminist Porn
June 13, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
Over the last decade or so, many of the conversations about porn taking place in the popular media have shifted to the topics of ethical porn and feminist porn. But...
Episode 186: Men Who Use the Least Porn Have the Most Porn Problems
April 21, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
Research on pornography's effects points to a fascinating paradox: the people who report the most problems stemming from porn use are often the ones using the least porn! How is...
Episode 185: The Problem With Porn “Reboot” And Recovery Programs
April 18, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
The growing anti-porn movement has fueled the rise of an entire industry centered around selling people on the idea of masturbatory abstinence. Often referred to as a “reboot,” these programs...
Episode 184: The Truth About “Porn Addiction”
April 14, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
How does porn affect us? And are people becoming "addicted" to it? Today, we're going to begin a four-part series on the science of porn to better understand its effects....
Episode 159: ‘Slut Pages’ and Revenge Porn
January 17, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
As many as 1 in 3 college students in the United States may be participating in “slut pages." Slut pages are part of a digital underground world in which nude...
New Year, New Porn Trends: What was Popular in Porn in 2022?
January 11, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
Pornhub recently released their 2022 year-in-review detailing users’ searches and viewing habits, revealing current trends in pornography. Read on for insights into some of the data and trends that defined the...
Fantasies
Porn Literacy With a Side of CBT: Trying Out the “How to Watch Porn” Course
November 30, 2022 by Olivia Adams
Consider this — what if you could take a class in which your homework was to watch porn every week? This is what Lustery, an online porn platform that focuses...
Sex Ed
Episode 141: Why Cartoon and Animated Porn are so Popular
November 1, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
What was the most popular porn search term last year? According to Pornhub, it was hentai. This term refers to a form of animated or cartoon porn and it seems...
The Psychology of Hentai Porn
December 20, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
What was the most popular porn search term of 2021? According to Pornhub’s latest report, it was hentai. This term has been near the top of the list for a...
Fantasies, Media & Culture
Using Less (Not More) Porn is Linked to More Sexual Problems
July 7, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Many people view pornography as a public health hazard, arguing that it’s inherently bad for our sex lives, relationships, and mental health. Embedded in a lot of arguments about the...
Sex Ed
The Psychological Impact of Virtual Reality Porn Versus 2D Porn
June 14, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Virtual reality (VR) pornography is a small but growing market in the adult industry. As the cost of this technology comes down in price and becomes more accessible to a...
Sex Ed
Porndemic? Here’s What Really Happened With Porn Use During the Pandemic
May 26, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, much was said and written about sex and masturbation in the popular media. The implication of many stories was that people were going...
Sex Ed
Santa Claus Porn is a Thing—And It’s Very Popular Right Now
December 25, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Porn searches are seasonal. According to Pornhub, the content that people look for seems to vary significantly over the course of the year in relation to different holidays and events....
Sex Ed
The Psychology of Christmas Porn: Some People Think Santa is a Daddy
December 25, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Our sexual behaviors ebb and flow throughout the year—and so do our porn searches. It turns out that what people look for on adult sites is, in part, a function...
Sex Ed
Episode 15: The Truth About Porn
December 9, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
In the eyes of many, pornography is inherently problematic. In fact, some have gone as far as to dub it a “public health crisis” because they see it as addictive...
How People’s Porn Searches Change Around Thanksgiving
November 23, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Porn searches are seasonal.If you look at trends in porn searches throughout the year, you’ll see that they follow a predictable pattern of changes that reflect seasonal events and holidays....
Potpourri
Is There a Link Between Porn Use and Relationship Satisfaction? Actually, No
September 16, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Popular media reports frequently tout the damage that pornography use does to relationships. Some articles have made pretty bold claims, such as “porn-free relationships are stronger,” “watching porn can diminish...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
1 in 3 Young Men Report Not Having Sex in the Last Year—But Not Because of Porn
July 8, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual inactivity is on the rise among young adults. In the last two decades, the number of people—especially men—reporting that they haven’t had sex in the past year has risen...
Sex Ed
How People’s Porn Viewing Habits Have Changed During Quarantine
May 11, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Much has been said and written about how pornography use has changed during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, including on this blog (see here). However, almost all of the information we...
Sex Ed
I’m a Cisgender Woman and My Husband Watches Trans Porn: Does That Mean He’s Not Into Me?
April 24, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“I recently discovered that my husband is attracted to transsexuals (MTF - non op). This is the only type of porn that he looks at....
Sex Q&A, Sex Tips
How Coronavirus is Affecting the World of Porn
March 13, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
There is no escape from coronavirus news. It’s all anyone can talk about on my social media feeds and everywhere I go. It’s permeating every aspect of our lives, including...
Media & Culture
How People’s Porn Searches Change on Valentine’s Day
February 14, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Porn searches are seasonal. When we look at trends in people’s porn searches throughout the year, they follow a predictable pattern of changes that reflect seasonal events and holidays. For...
Potpourri
Do People Who Watch Porn Seek More Extreme Content Over Time?
February 5, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people seem to be under the impression that, if you watch enough porn, your brain will build up a tolerance to it. The result is that you...
Sex Ed
From Superheroes to Porn Stars to Politicians, Who Appears in Our Sexual Fantasies?
February 3, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Almost everyone has sexual fantasies, and most of us have them often. We fantasize about a wide range of activities, from group sex to BDSM to doing something that is...
Sex Ed
What Was Popular In Porn In 2019?
December 23, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Pornhub just released their 2019 year-in-review of users’ viewing habits and, as usual, the results were fascinating. They reported an average of 115 million site visitors per day this year,...
Sex Ed
Pornography is Dangerous for Teens? Chill Out, The Kids are Going to be (Mostly) Alright
December 13, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Americans have become increasingly fond of calling pornography a “public health crisis.” Those who claim this frequently cite adolescents’ “rampant access to pornography” as a central concern. Parents are encouraged...
Sex Ed
How People’s Porn Searches Change on Halloween
October 28, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Our sexual interests are seasonal. For example, if you look at trends in porn searches throughout the year, you’ll see that they follow a predictable pattern of changes that reflect...
Potpourri
How Porn Changes The Way Teens Think About Sex, And Why We Need Porn Literacy
September 27, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
How does pornography affect the way that teens think about and approach sex? Is there a link between pornography and sexual violence, as many in the media have claimed? Also...
Sex Ed, Videos
Porn Ed: What Happens When Porn Replaces Sex Education?
September 27, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Adolescents today have greater access to a wider range of pornography than any previous generation. So how is it affecting them? This question is the crux of a new episode...
Interviews, Sex Ed
Study: 1 in 8 Young Adults Say Watching Porn is a Form of Cheating
August 21, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
When it comes to infidelity, which behaviors count and which ones don’t? It turns out that different people answer this question in very different ways.. That said, there are some...
Dating & Relationships
What Counts as “Pornography?” It Depends Who You Ask
July 3, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
As a sex researcher, I’ve read a lot of studies on the subject of pornography. One thing that’s been pretty consistent across most of them is that what counts as...
Sex Ed
What Kinds of Porn Do Men and Women Watch Most Often?
June 5, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
There are lots of articles out there describing the most-viewed porn categories on Pornhub and other popular adult sites—however, that’s not what this article is. While big data insights from...
Gender, Sex Ed
The Truth About How Porn Affects Us
April 26, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
In the popular media, pornography has seemingly become the default source of blame for any and all sexual problems. Why are we in a “sex recession?” Porn. Why do we...
Myth vs Fact
The Fascinating Psychology Behind the Popularity of MILF Porn
March 25, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
In the book A Billion Wicked Thoughts, neuroscientists Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam analyzed the contents of over a billion searches on some of the most popular porn sites. They...
Sex Ed
Why Is Porn Inspired By Video Games So Popular?
January 21, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
It seems as though every time a video game becomes a major hit, porn inspired by that game becomes a big thing. For example, when the PokémonGo craze hit in...
Sex Ed
What Was Popular In Porn In 2018?
January 2, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Pornhub recently released their 2018 year-in-review of users’ viewing habits and the results were fascinating. Among other things, they reported an average of 92 million site visitors per day in...
Sex Ed
How Is Porn Use Linked To Relationship Satisfaction? It’s Complicated
April 2, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s easy to find articles in the popular media talking about how porn ruins relationships. Many scientific studies have made this claim, too. However, there’s a problematic assumption embedded in...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
Is Watching Porn a Form of Infidelity?
February 23, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
What “counts” as cheating on a romantic partner? It depends who you ask. Research finds that people define infidelity in very different ways. However, there are some things that people...
Dating & Relationships
Can You Build Up A Tolerance To Porn?
February 5, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
There’s a widespread belief that, if you watch enough porn, your brain will build up a tolerance to it, meaning that you will require more and more extreme stuff in...
Sex Ed
Porn Use Is Linked To Lower Sexual Satisfaction In Men—But Only If They’re Religious
January 22, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Several studies have found that pornography use is associated with lower levels of sexual satisfaction (see here and here and here for a few examples). On the basis of this...
Sex Ed
What Was Popular In Porn In 2017?
January 15, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Pornhub recently released their annual year-in-review of users’ viewing habits and, as usual, the results were fascinating. Among other things, they reported an average of 81 million site visitors per...
Sex Ed
What A Decade Of Data From Pornhub Reveals About Our Sexual Interests
November 8, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
This year, Pornhub celebrated its tenth birthday. To commemorate the occasion, they released some fascinating data on trends in users’ viewing habits. Among other things, over 10 million videos have...
Sex Ed
How Erotic Dreams Are Connected To Pornography Use And Sexual Behavior
October 27, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Most people have had dreams about sex before. However, there’s a lot of variability in the kinds of sex dreams that people have. So where does all of that variation...
Sex Ed
Porn Isn’t The Reason Millennials Are Having Less Sex
September 27, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Compared to generations past, millennials are having less sex. And the post-millennials—or iGen, as social psychologist Jean Twenge has dubbed them—are doing it even less. Much has been said and...
Sex Ed
Till Porn Do Us Part: Why You Should Be Skeptical of the New Study Claiming Porn Kills Love
September 6, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
A new study published in the Journal of Sex Research reports that when married people start using porn, their odds of getting divorced double. In other words, the results would...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
The Orgasm Gap in Porn is Bigger Than We Realized
July 3, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Porn has been criticized for a lot of reasons, but one of the most common complaints lodged against it is that it isn’t realistic, especially in the way it depicts...
Sex Ed
How Many Straight Men Watch Gay Porn? And How Many Gay Guys Watch Straight Porn?
April 5, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people assume that men only watch porn that is consistent with their sexual identity—in other words, that straight guys only watch straight porn, while gay guys only...
LGBTQIA+
What Was Popular In Porn In 2016?
January 18, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Pornhub recently released their annual year-in-review of users’ viewing habits and, as usual, the results were fascinating. Among other things, they reported that nearly 92 billion videos were viewed on...
Gender, Potpourri
Infographic: How Men Feel About Condoms in Porn
October 26, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
How do men feel about the use of condoms in pornography? A new study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior offers some insight. Gay, straight, and bisexual men were...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
Is Porn Really a Threat to Public Health?
September 5, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
The war on porn has reached a fever pitch. Political elites, religious authorities, and a number of other public figures are coming out in ever larger numbers to warn us...
Sex Ed
Five Scientific Facts You Should Know About Porn
June 22, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
There’s a war on porn taking place right now. A growing chorus has emerged claiming that porn is addictive, that it’s causing misogyny and sexual violence, that it’s leading people...
Sex Ed
Infographic: What It’s Like To Be A Porn Star
April 8, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Many people are curious about the lives of porn stars. For example, how do they feel about themselves and the work that they do? How much money do they make?...
Sex Ed
Is It Healthy To Watch Porn With Your Partner?
April 1, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“My partner and I have watched porn together in the past and have recently gotten a hentai video game together. After playing it, we had...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Q&A
Sex Research Roundup: Pornography, Consensual Nonmonogamy, & Aphrodisiacs
January 16, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Here’s a brief recap of the most interesting sex research reports that crossed my desk this week. They include studies on how scientists should be measuring porn use, how consensual...
Sex Ed
The Problem With Porn Research
January 13, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
In the last few years, scientists have become increasingly interested in studying the potential effects of pornography on viewers. Several studies have been published, but many of them have yielded...
Sex Ed
Why So Many Women Are Drawn To Gay Male Porn
January 7, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Many women find man-on-man pornography to be sexually arousing. In fact, gay male porn is the second most popular category among female visitors on some of the most popular porn...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
Why So Many Women Watch Gay Male Porn
January 7, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
There are a lot of women out there who find man-on-man pornography to be highly arousing. As some evidence of this, one of the biggest porn websites in the world,...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
Sex Question Friday: I’m A Man Married To A Woman And I Masturbate To Gay Porn. Is That Common?
November 3, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“I'm a married guy in my mid-40s. I'm happily married and travel a lot for work. Since my teens I've been an avid masturbator. I...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
Pornography, Misogyny, And Sexual Violence: Is There A Link Between Them?
September 11, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
In the last few years, a growing media panic has emerged about the dangers of pornography. Much of this has centered around the concepts of "pornography addiction" and "porn-induced erectile...
Myth vs Fact
Why We Should Stop Calling Porn “Addiction” An Addiction
July 10, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
The concept of “pornography addiction” is one that has generated a lot of debate in the popular media. Although pretty much everyone seems to agree that there are indeed some...
Myth vs Fact, Sex Ed
More Evidence That Pornography Use Is Not A General Risk Factor For Erectile Dysfunction
April 10, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Many in the popular media have argued that the increased availability of online pornography is contributing to an earlier onset of erectile difficulties in men. However, scientific research has not...
Sex Ed, Sex Tips
How Much Gender Inequality Is There In Online Porn?
March 20, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Although internet pornography is frequently criticized for depicting gender inequality, surprisingly little research has examined the actual gendered content of online porn. Moreover, what little research does exist in this...
Gender, Sex Ed
Is Pornography Use A Risk Factor For Erectile Dysfunction?
March 13, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Pornography has been blamed for a number of problems over the years. Among the many claims leveled against porn is that it causes divorce and sexual violence (neither of which...
Myth vs Fact
Sex Question Friday: If A Guy Likes Bisexual And Transsexual Porn, Is He Gay?
September 11, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a heterosexually-identified male reader who wanted to know the following:“How common...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
Is It Better To Hide Porn Use From Your Partner, Or Own Up To It?
January 15, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Imagine that you’re sitting in bed watching some porn on your smartphone or laptop. You look up to see that your partner has just entered the room. What do you...
Sex Ed
Facts About Male Porn Stars (Infographic)
October 16, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
What is it like to work in the world of porn? I'm sure most of you could hazard a guess, but let's take a look at what the research says....
Sex Ed
Facts About Female Porn Stars (Infographic)
May 28, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Many of us are curious about the traits and characteristics of people who appear in porn and whether porn stars are as psychologically healthy as the rest of the population....
Sex Ed
Do People Who Watch More Porn Have A Worse Sex Life?
February 15, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Results of The Psychology of Human Sexuality’s first Reader Survey are in! Today, I will present the first round of results, focusing specifically on the associations between amount of Internet...
Potpourri
Does Internet Porn Really “Cause Memory Loss?”
January 7, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
A new study published in The Journal of Sex Research about the psychological effects of exposure to online pornography has been making the rounds in the media recently. A number...
Media & Culture, Myth vs Fact
Are Porn Actresses “Damaged Goods?”
December 17, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Society views women who appear in pornographic films negatively. For instance, both male and female college students rate porn actresses as having more negative traits and characteristics than mainstream movie...
Myth vs Fact, Sex Ed
5 Misconceptions About Sex And The Human Body Spread By Porn
October 29, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
As I have discussed in past articles, much of what has been said during the recent “war on porn” is inaccurate. There is simply no evidence that consumption of pornography...
Myth vs Fact, Sex Ed
Fact Check: Do Condoms Actually Increase STD Risk For Porn Performers?
October 15, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
“The shortest porn scenes require an absolute minimum of ‘half an hour of hard thrusting by a well-endowed young man. It's hard enough to deal with [without] condoms. Add latex...
Myth vs Fact
Sex Question Friday: Why Are So Many Straight Men Into Transsexual Porn?
October 5, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader of the blog who was curious about why so...
Sex Q&A
When And How Should You Talk To Your Kids About Sex In The Age Of Internet Porn?
September 14, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
How are adolescent boys learning about sex these days? By pointing, clicking, and streaming through a seemingly endless supply of Internet pornography. That’s right, online porn is now the default...
Sex Ed
The Great Porn Experiment
August 15, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
In this TEDx video, Gary Wilson discusses his view on how heavy use of online porn may be affecting men’s sex lives. As Wilson points out, accessing pornography through high...
Sex Ed
What Do Men and Women Focus On When They Watch Porn? The Answer Will Probably Surprise You
June 18, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
When someone watches pornography, what is it that first captures their attention? Most people would probably guess the actors’ bodies and/or genitals, especially if they’re talking about male porn viewers....
Gender, Sex Ed
Why Is “Fifty Shades of Grey” So Popular? Do Women Really Prefer Erotic Fiction To Hardcore Porn?
June 6, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
“Research has shown that men are more visually stimulated, while women are more literary; they’re turned on by words or erotic stories.” – Dr. Michael Krychman on Fifty Shades of...
Gender, Myth vs Fact, Sex Ed
Fact Check: Is Online Porn Causing Men to Masturbate More Often?
May 30, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Men are masturbating 50 to 500% more than they would normally without Internet porn. So if a guy normally masturbated once a day, he might now be doing it two...
Myth vs Fact
Sex Question Friday: Can I Ask My Partner To Give Up Porn?
April 6, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer sex questions submitted to me by actual college students. This week’s question is one that I have heard several times over the last...
Sex Q&A
Is Pornography Harmful to Our Brains and to Our Love Lives?
March 19, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
"America is suffering a pandemic of harm from pornography. A wealth of research is now available demonstrating that pornography causes profound brain changes in both children and adults, resulting in...
Myth vs Fact, Sex Ed
Sex Question Friday: Pain and Pleasure, Pregnancy without Penetration, and How Straight People Respond to Gay Porn
February 10, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer a few burning sex questions submitted to me by actual college students. This week, we’re going to talk about why some people mix...
Sex Q&A
Episode 285: Ethical Gangbangs – Filming A Group Sex Scene
April 19, 2024 by Justin Lehmiller
The term “ethical gangbang” probably sounds like an oxymoron to a lot of folks. Can a gangbang really be ethical? Let's talk about it! In today’s show, I'm speaking with...
Why Do We Blame Men For Their Own Sexual Difficulties?
April 18, 2024 by Justin Lehmiller
In recent years, I’ve noticed what seems to be a growing tendency among many sexuality professionals to suggest that men are responsible for many their own sexual difficulties. The scenario...
Psychology
Episode 284: Sex On Screen – How Erotic Cinema Is Made
April 16, 2024 by Justin Lehmiller
What goes on behind the scenes when porn is filmed? In today's show, I’m going to be speaking with a director who has decades of experience creating adult films. We’re...
Announcing The Psychology of Human Sexuality, 3rd Edition!
February 1, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
The third edition of The Psychology of Human Sexuality by Dr. Justin Lehmiller is officially available! This textbook is a comprehensive guide to major theoretical perspectives on human sexuality, and...
Books & Films, Sex Ed
The Year in Sex: The 10 Most-Read Articles on Sex and Psychology in 2023
December 27, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
As 2023 winds down, let’s look back at this year’s ten most read articles on Sex and Psychology. The following posts represent a very diverse range of content and, combined,...
Potpourri, Sex Ed
Episode 250: How to Have “The Talk” With Your Kids
December 15, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
In some ways, teens today seem to be more sexually cautious. They’re waiting longer to have sex and they’re having fewer partners. At the same time, however, they’re also engaging...
Where Americans’ Views on Sexual Morality Stand in 2023
December 6, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
Since 2001, Gallup has been collecting data every month to assess public opinion on a variety of issues. In order to conduct their Social Series interviews (i.e., their process of...
LGBTQIA+, Psychology
Why Do We Masturbate? Saying Goodbye to No Nut November
November 30, 2023 by Bethany Lumsdaine
As the annual masturbatory abstinence challenge known as “No Nut November” comes to a close, it is a great time to remember all the positives of masturbation. From improved health...
Myth vs Fact
5 Sexy Things To Be Thankful For In 2023
November 23, 2023 by Merissa Prine
Happy Thanksgiving! Since many of us are currently in the season of giving thanks and are reminded of all of the wonderful things we are thankful for, we wanted to...
Sex Ed
A Look Inside The Securing Sexuality Conference
November 14, 2023 by Bethany Lumsdaine
Last month, the inaugural Securing Sexuality conference took place in Detroit, Michigan. Possibly the first conference of its kind, Securing Sexuality brought together experts from various fields to delve into...
Potpourri
Episode 240: The Truth About Masturbation (Essential Listen)
November 10, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s November again, which means that the annual abstinence challenge known as “No Nut November” is back in full force. This challenge originated on Reddit several years back and it...
National Coming Out Day 2023: LGBTQ+ Research Round-Up
October 11, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
In 1988, psychologist Dr. Rob Eichberg co-founded the “Coming Out Day” holiday with Jean O’Leary. The original concept behind this holiday is that most people who think they don’t know...
LGBTQIA+
Episode 231: Safe Sex in the Digital Age
October 10, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
From the rise of online dating, to internet porn, to sexting and cybersex, our intimate lives are increasingly digital. Although it's great that we have these new ways to connect...
Episode 228: The Rise of Pegging
September 29, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
In both porn and pop culture, we're increasingly seeing women strapping on dildos and anally penetrating men, a sex act known as pegging. So what’s behind this growing trend? Let's...
Episode 224: The Appeal of the MILF
September 15, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
MILF is one of the most searched for terms on popular porn sites year after year. So why are so many heterosexual guys drawn to hot, middle-aged mother figures? In...
Episode 207: The History of Kinky Sex
July 18, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
It turns out that for as long as humans have been having sex, they’ve been having pretty kinky sex! So let's talk about our kinky history. In today's episode, we’re...
How to Use the Sex and Psychology Blog in Your Classroom
July 12, 2023 by Olivia Adams
A couple of weeks ago, we released a blog post on an excellent resource developed by Dr. Steven Rouse that pairs episodes of the Sex and Psychology podcast with chapters...
Sex Ed
Episode 204: More Fascinating Facts About Sex
July 7, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
It is hard to believe, but we recently reached episode number 200 of this podcast! So how do you celebrate 200 episodes of a sex show? I decided to put...
What Can a Mobile Game Teach Us About Sex Ed?
July 3, 2023 by Olivia Adams
Sex education in the U.S. leaves much to be desired. And because young people oftentimes cannot depend on formal education through school to learn about sex, they may stumble upon...
Sex Ed
How To Use the Sex and Psychology Podcast in Your Classroom
June 26, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
We’re excited to announce that the third edition of Dr. Lehmiller’s The Psychology of Human Sexuality textbook is now available for pre-order! The updated text will arrive in fall 2023, giving...
Sex Ed
Episode 187: “Out of Control” Sex – Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder
April 25, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
Some adults feel highly distressed about their porn use. In most of these cases, the root cause of the problem can be traced back to shame or moral conflicts surrounding...
The State of Sex Education in the USA in 2023
March 22, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
The state of sex education in the USA is vastly different across states. As of May 2023, there are 23 states that do not require sex education for high school...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
The Features of the Most Popular Sex Toys Might Surprise You
March 1, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
The size of the sex toy market is predicted to reach $62.3 billion by 2030. In light of this, it’s surprising that so little research has explored what might be driving...
Myth vs Fact
Are AI Chatbots the Future of Sex and Relationship Advice?
February 9, 2023 by Olivia Adams
AI is getting smarter. It can produce text that’s virtually indistinguishable from a human, and it has a massive knowledge base. So what will it mean for the future? What...
Media & Culture, Sex Ed
How Using OnlyFans Affects People’s Sex Lives and Relationships
February 2, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
OnlyFans is a digital patronage platform with over two million independent sex workers and a user base of 170 million registered accounts. Given the speed at which OnlyFans use gained...
Kink & BDSM, Media & Culture, Sex Ed
Episode 163: A Sexplanation – How To Enjoy Shame-Free Sex
January 31, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
Despite the fact that I write and talk about sex all day, I don’t actually watch a lot of movies and TV shows about sex because it often feels too...
Episode 161: Performative Sex and the Psychology of ‘Facials’
January 24, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
One of the most popular articles on the Sex and Psychology blog is about the psychology of facials, a sexual act in which one person ejaculates on another person’s face....
Episode 157: How to Talk to Your Kids About Sex
January 3, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
As a sex educator, one of the most common questions I get from parents is when and how to talk to their kids about sex. When should these conversations begin?...
11 Years of Great Sex: It’s the Eleventh Blogiversary of Sex and Psychology!
December 21, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Believe it or not, Sex and Psychology turns 11 years old this week! When I first started blogging at the end of 2011, I had no idea where this journey would take me,...
Potpourri
Episode 154: Virtual Reality Might Be The Future Of Sex Therapy
December 16, 2022 by Emily Mendelson
The latest evolution in pornography and erotica is virtual reality (VR), which is making adult content increasingly interactive. Most of the buzz about VR erotica involves taking solo masturbation to...
Holiday Shopping Ideas For The Sexy People In Your Life
December 7, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
If you haven’t started your holiday shopping yet, now’s the time! With supply chain issues and shipping delays piling up, it’s a good idea to get started a little earlier...
Books & Films, Potpourri
Say “No” to No Nut November: The Health Benefits of Masturbation
November 9, 2022 by Emily Mendelson
It’s “No Nut November” once again. While this annual abstinence challenge seems to pick up some new participants each year, you may want to think twice before giving up masturbation...
Myth vs Fact
Episode 127: Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys
September 13, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
There are a lot of heterosexual women out there who enjoy watching man-on-man pornography. In fact, some of the most popular tube sites in the world have reported that gay...
Tips For ‘Cheat-Proofing’ Your Relationship
July 18, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Most people say that their ideal relationship would be monogamous. Despite this, however, a lot of people seem to have a really hard time maintaining monogamy. So if monogamy is...
Dating & Relationships, Psychology
Views on Sexual Morality in the United States in 2022
July 4, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
According to Gallup’s 2022 Moral Issues Survey, American adults’ views on sexual morality have become more liberal since the turn of the century. In fact, for some of the issues on this...
Sex Ed
Episode 105: Less Sex, More Kink – The Sex Lives of Today’s College Students
June 28, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
College students tend to be stereotyped as a pretty horny bunch who are hooking up every chance they get. But are today's college students really having more sex than ever?...
A New Way of Thinking About Sexual Orientation
May 9, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual fantasy, pornography use, and in-person sexual behavior each tell us something unique about our sexuality, which means we can’t just assume that sexual interests in one context, transcend other...
Interviews, LGBTQIA+, Psychology
Episode 89: Tips From a Sex Therapist
May 3, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual difficulties are common, and they can be highly distressing. They don't have to mean the end of your sex life, though. Fortunately, most difficulties can be resolved and you...
Falling in Love with a Friend is More Common Than You Think
February 7, 2022 by Katie Adams
In the famous movie When Harry Met Sally, there’s a scene where Harry claims that “men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.”...
Dating & Relationships
The State of Sex Education in America in 2022
January 31, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Teens across the United States have wildly inconsistent experiences with sex education. As of January 2022, there are 21 states that do not require sex ed, and even in those...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
Episode 70: The Rise of Cuckolding
January 21, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Cuckolding refers to a sexual practice in which someone finds it arousing to watch their partner have sex with another person. I first learned about cuckolding nearly a decade ago...
8 Things Science Taught Us About Sex In 2021
December 30, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
2021 has been memorable for a lot of reasons—including what science taught us about sex. Here’s a quick recap of some of the most interesting things we learned about sex...
Sex Ed
The Year in Sex: The 10 Most-Read Articles on Sex and Psychology in 2021
December 27, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
2021 was an interesting year to say the least! Our lives and behaviors continued to be altered in a number of ways by the pandemic—one of which was that many...
Potpourri
Holiday Horniness, Explained
December 24, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Unlike many animal species, humans don’t really have a mating season. We can have sex any time of year. However, there do appear to be some peaks and valleys in...
Videos
Episode 66: Why The Holidays Make Us Horny
December 22, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
If you're feeling extra horny right now, it's not just you! The winter holidays are one of the times of year when sexual interest and behavior reliably increase. We see...
Episode 63: A New Way of Thinking About Sexual Orientation
December 3, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
If you ask someone to describe their sexuality, odds are they’ll probably tell you something about the sex or gender of the people they’re attracted to. However, that’s just one...
Holiday Shopping Ideas For The Sexy People In Your Life
November 29, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
If you haven’t started your holiday shopping yet, now’s the time! With supply chain issues and shipping delays piling up, it’s a good idea to get started a little earlier...
Potpourri
Sexual Uniforms: The Costumes That Turn People On
November 8, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
When you fantasize about sex, do you ever imagine your partner(s) wearing a specific uniform? If so, you’re not alone. In the survey of 4,175 Americans I conducted for my...
Fantasies, Kink & BDSM
How Many People Are Into Double Penetration?
November 1, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader asked the following question: “How many people are into DP [double penetration]?” Double penetration is a popular theme in the world of porn and often appears in threesome...
Fantasies, Sex Q&A
Episode 56: Where Do Sexual Fetishes Come From?
October 15, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
People can develop sexual fetishes for virtually anything. In fact, it’s not a stretch to say that if you can think of it, somebody probably has a fetish for it....
Episode 55: Sex, Pleasure, Consent, and the Intimate Lives of Teens Today
October 8, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Today’s youth are facing a complicated landscape when it comes to sex. They live in a world where sex is all around and porn is more easily accessible than ever...
When Disgust Becomes a Sexual Turn-On
September 22, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
“I felt disgusted, but also very satisfied.” I just heard this line on an NPR podcast that had absolutely nothing to do with sex—but it really got me thinking because...
Kink & BDSM, Psychology
The Stimulating History of Sex Toys
August 9, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
What is the oldest sex toy in existence? Why were butt plugs once marketed as a cure for asthma? Why is it still illegal to sell sex toys in some...
Interviews
Changes in Americans’ Views on Sexual Morality in the Past 20 Years
July 7, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
According to Gallup’s 2021 Moral Issues Survey, Americans’ views on sexual morality continue to become more liberal overall. In fact, for some of the issues on this survey, Gallup recorded the...
Sex Ed
How Similar or Different are the Sex Lives of Gay and Straight Men?
June 28, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Do the sex lives of men in relationships differ based on their sexual orientation? This question is difficult to answer because there’s not a lot of research out there on...
LGBTQIA+
Sex Secrets: What We Hide from Our Partners and Why
June 21, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
When people describe the traits they want in a partner, honesty usually comes in near the top of the list. However, despite the fact that we say we want partners who will...
Sex Ed
Does Listening to Sexy Music Get Us in the Mood for Sex?
June 7, 2021 by Katie Adams
Guest post by Katie Adams “I’ve been really tryin’, baby / Tryin’ to hold back this feeling for so long / And if you feel like I feel, baby /...
Sex Ed
What Will Sex and Relationships Look Like After COVID-19?
May 12, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
One of the questions I’m asked most often by journalists these days is what sex and relationships will look like after the pandemic. As a result, I’ve spent quite a...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
Episode 24: A Sex Writer’s Journey Into the Heart of Desire
March 4, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
What really takes place behind the scenes on an adult film set? What is it like to attend an orgasmic meditation retreat? Journalist Tracy-Clark Flory has the answers. In her...
What Does It Mean to Have ‘Rough Sex?’
February 15, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Rough sex is one of the most popular sexual fantasies. In fact, when I surveyed 4,175 Americans about their fantasies for my book Tell Me What You Want, I found...
Sex Ed
The State of Sex Education in the United States in 2021 (Infographic)
February 4, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Teens across the United States have wildly inconsistent experiences with sex education. Currently, 20 states do not require sex ed, and even in those states that mandate it, the information...
Safe Sex
Episode 18: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Anal Sex, But Were Afraid To Ask
January 21, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
As a sex educator, one of the topics I get asked about most often is anal sex. This isn’t surprising, given that this subject usually isn’t discussed at all in...
Sex Question Friday: Can I Change My Sexual Fantasies?
January 8, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
I recently received a long letter from a reader who asked, “Can I (or should I) try to change my sexual fantasies in order to reduce conflict in my marriage?”...
Sex Ed, Sex Q&A
Ten Things Science Taught Us About Sex In 2020
December 30, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
2020 has been memorable for a lot of reasons—including what science taught us about sex. Here’s a quick recap of some of the most interesting things we learned about sex...
Sex Ed
Holiday Shopping Ideas For The Sexy People In Your Life
December 14, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
If you aren’t quite finished with your holiday shopping or (like me) haven’t even started yet, allow me to make your job a little easier this year. If you're in...
Potpourri
Human Cows: An Inside Look at a Growing Kink
December 9, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A question I often get asked in interviews about my book Tell Me What You Want is whether I learned about any new kinks in the process of studying more...
Sex Ed
The Top 10 Most-Read Questions and Answers on Sex and Psychology
December 4, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
What do people want to know about sex?Here's are the ten most read question-and-answer features of all time on the blog. These questions (all submitted by readers of Sex and...
Sex Q&A
How COVID-19 is Changing Sex and Relationships (Video)
November 13, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
How have people's sex lives and relationships changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? Some of my colleagues and I at The Kinsey Institute conducted a study in order...
Videos
How the Pandemic Has Affected the Content of Our Sexual Fantasies
September 29, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
In my last post, I wrote about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the frequency with which people say they fantasize about sex, as well as people’s reasons for having...
Sex Ed
The Movie Sex Scenes People Fantasize About Recreating Most Often
September 14, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Popular media—films, television shows, and books—are common sources of sexual fantasy inspiration. In fact, in the study of 4,175 Americans’ sexual fantasies I conducted for my book Tell Me What...
Potpourri, Sex Ed
Sex News Roundup: What’s Going on In Sex Research Today?
August 28, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
What’s going on in the world of sex and relationship research right now? Here’s a brief recap of the latest and greatest happenings. In this edition, we’ll review a new...
Sex Ed
How Many People Have Used Sex Toys During the Pandemic?
August 26, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
According to numerous media reports, sex toy retailers around the world reported a surge in sales since the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic began, especially during the period when lockdowns were widespread.Of...
Sex Ed
Why Women Hook-Up—And How They Feel About Their Hookups
August 24, 2020 by Katie Adams
When I was an undergraduate student, the weekends usually meant parties. And Sunday brunches often consisted of friends dishing on any hookups that occurred at those parties. Looking back on...
Sex Ed
We Usually Have More Sex in the Summer–But Will We During the Pandemic?
August 17, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Our sexual behavior patterns change with the seasons. Historically, there has been a reliable peak in sexual activity during the summer months. But is our usual summer peak going to...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
Most People Have Noticed a Change in Their Sexual Fantasies During the Pandemic
August 10, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
As someone who studies the science of sexual fantasies, something I’ve been curious about is whether this pandemic has affected our fantasies in any way. This situation has touched a...
Sex Ed
How We See Ourselves in Our Sexual Fantasies, and What It Means
July 17, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
When you fantasize about sex, do you appear in your own fantasies? If so, do you appear as you do in real life, or do you change yourself in some...
Fantasies, Sex Ed
Men and Women Have Skewed Ideas about What a “Normal” Vulva Looks Like
July 3, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Female genital cosmetic surgery is on the rise. While these procedures are still relatively uncommon compared to breast augmentation and other cosmetic procedures, they are increasing at a fast rate....
Sex Ed
How Americans’ Views on Sexual Morality Have (and Haven’t) Changed in the Last 20 Years
July 2, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
According to Gallup's 2020 Moral Issues Survey, Americans’ views on sexual morality continue to become more liberal overall. In fact, for many of the issues on this survey, Gallup recorded...
Sex Ed
5 Practical Steps You Can Take to “Cheat-Proof” Your Relationship
June 29, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Infidelity is common. Studies have reliably found that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 married adults report having had sex outside of their relationship at some point. For...
Dating & Relationships
The Appeal of the DILF: Why Men Who Have Children are Sexy
June 3, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
In the wake of Kobe Bryant’s death earlier this year, an ESPN news anchor shared a heartfelt story about Bryant’s love of being a father. The emotional tribute instantly went...
Sex Ed
Why Sexually Satisfied People Are More Likely To Cheat
June 1, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Cheating and infidelity are common. Studies reliably find that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 married couples in the US reported having stepped out on their partner at...
Dating & Relationships
Are Men Who Pay For Sex More Sexist?
May 25, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A common refrain in many anti-prostitution arguments is that sex work is inherently exploitative and that it perpetuates gender inequality. Built into these arguments is an assumption that men who...
Sex Ed
Twelve Things Science Has Taught Us About Masturbation
May 18, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
May is Masturbation Month, so let’s talk about self-pleasure! In this post, we’ll explore twelve things scientists have learned from the study of masturbation, including who does it, why, how,...
Sex Ed
I’m a Straight Man Who Fantasizes About Other Men: Is That Normal?
May 15, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“I am a straight and happily married man, but lately I have had fantasies about other men. Some of them are just about me and...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
The Science of Masturbation
May 13, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s May, and that means it’s Masturbation Month! With many of us living under lockdown and quarantine orders at the moment, now seems like the perfect time to talk about...
Videos
Podcasts on the Science of Sex to Get You Through the Lockdown
April 29, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
During this time of lockdowns and quarantines, I know that many of you are looking for ways to pass the time, so allow me to suggest some entertaining and educational...
Media & Culture
Lockdown Reading Recommendations for People Who Like to Read About Sex
April 10, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
I know that many of you are bored and horny right now during this lockdown and quarantine period, so allow me to recommend some of my favorite sex books! If...
Books & Films
Why The Pandemic is Making Some People Horny–But Turning Others Off
April 3, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
There are a lot of conflicting media reports out right now about how the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is affecting people’s sex drives. Some are saying that all of the stress...
Media & Culture, Sex Ed
Sex and Relationship Survival Tips During a Lockdown
March 20, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Many of us are finding ourselves spending a lot more time at home due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, especially those of us in lockdown areas. For people who live...
Dating & Relationships
The Top 10 Most-Read Questions and Answers on Sex and Psychology
March 13, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
What do people want to know about sex?Here are the ten most read question-and-answer articles of all time on the blog. These questions (all submitted by readers of Sex and...
Sex Q&A
Seeking Participants For Sex Studies!
March 6, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A few years ago, I launched the Sex Studies page on Sex and Psychology, with the goal of helping to connect sex researchers with prospective participants. I’m pleased to say...
Sex Ed
Are Condoms Going Out of Style? Six Theories on Why Condom Use is Decreasing
March 4, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
People today are less likely to report using condoms than they were in the past. For example, among teens, the number who reported using a condom the last time they...
Safe Sex
I Fantasize About Getting Shrunken Down and Eaten by Another Man: What Does It Mean?
January 31, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader recently wrote to ask me a question about their biggest sexual fantasy. He said:“I have always had a sexual fantasy about getting shrunken down and eaten by a...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Q&A
Can Abstaining From Masturbation Increase Testosterone?
January 24, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
“Across the alt-right movement, leaders are telling young men not to masturbate, “ says clinical psychologist Dr. David Ley in a recent interview. Why is that? In part, because some...
Myth vs Fact, Videos
More Evidence That Many ‘Unusual’ Sexual Interests Aren’t So Unusual After All
January 20, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Psychologists and psychiatrists typically use the term paraphilia to refer to unusual or uncommon sexual interests or activities. Hundreds of desires have been described as paraphilias over the years, although there are currently...
Kink & BDSM
Sex News Roundup: Do People Really Have a Type When It Comes to Relationships?
January 10, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
What’s going on in the world of sex and relationship research right now? Here’s a brief recap of the latest and greatest happenings. In this edition, we’ll review a new...
Sex Ed
The Season of Sex: Sexual Activity Increases in December. Here’s Why
December 18, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex is seasonal, to some degree. Researchers have found that our sexual activity patterns ebb and flow throughout the year, and there’s an interesting change taking place right now. Sex...
Potpourri, Videos
Meet This Week’s Amazing Sex and Psychology Guest Bloggers!
December 9, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I am currently on vacation and traveling through Asia, with stops in Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines! It’s an exciting trip and I’m sure I’ll have a lot to share...
Potpourri
This is the Most Unique Podcast About Sex Fantasies You’ll Ever Hear
November 22, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
My book Tell Me What You Want is based on the largest survey of sexual fantasies ever conducted in the United States. I surveyed more than 4,000 Americans from across...
Potpourri
People Say That 1 in Every 5 Dreams They Have is About Sex
November 18, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Most people report dreaming about sex from time to time. For example, one study found that 93% of men and 86% of women said they’d had sex dreams before. But...
Gender, Sex Ed
Sexual Arousal Puts Us In a Risk-Taking State of Mind
November 1, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Why do people engage in risky sexual behaviors? This is, of course, a complex question and there are obviously many contributing factors. For example, some people take sexual risks because...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
Older Women Who Date Younger Men Are More Satisfied
October 7, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Relationships in which a woman is significantly older than her male partner have always attracted a lot of attention and scrutiny. Case in point: remember what big news it was...
Dating & Relationships
ADHD After Dark: How ADHD Affects People’s Sex and Love Lives
September 11, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
How does attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affect people in adult life? Specifically, what are the implications for people’s sexual and romantic relationships? For the answers to these questions, I spoke...
Gender, Interviews
Science Fiction Sex Fantasies: Why Some People are Turned on by Impossible Scenarios
September 9, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
A large number of people have sexual fantasies that are impossible to act out because they feature elements of science fiction. As some evidence of this, I surveyed more than...
Sex Ed
The Ten Most-Read Questions and Answers on Sex and Psychology
August 15, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Here's an updated list of the ten most read question-and-answer features of all time on the blog. These questions (all submitted by readers of Sex and Psychology) span a very...
Sex Q&A
Women Who Sleep With Other Men While Their Husbands Watch: The Psychology of Cuckolding
July 10, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Three Women is a fascinating new book on sexual desire written by journalist Lisa Taddeo. It takes a deep dive into the sex lives and relationships of three American women...
Interviews
How Americans’ Views on Sexual Morality are Changing
July 1, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
According to the results of Gallup's 2019 Moral Issues Survey, Americans’ views on sexual morality continue to become more liberal overall. In fact, for many of the issues Americans were...
Sex Ed
How Long Does It Take Women And Men To Reach Orgasm?
June 26, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Much has been said and written in the popular media about the length of time it typically takes men and women to reach orgasm; however, most of this information is...
Gender, Sex Ed
People Have More Sex in the Summer. Here’s Why
June 24, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex is seasonal. Our patterns of sexual activity ebb and flow throughout the year, and right now we’re entering peak territory because it’s officially summer. Research from a variety of...
Sex Ed
The Psychology of Sadism: Why Some People Are Turned On By Others’ Pain
June 17, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual sadists are people who derive arousal from inflicting pain on others. This could be physical pain, such as hitting someone else, or it could be psychological pain, such as...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Ed, Sex Q&A
Four Things You Can Do To Keep Passion Alive And Boost Sexual Satisfaction
June 12, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
How does sexual satisfaction change over time in a relationship? The good news is that scientists have found that it increases. The bad news is that this increase only occurs...
Sex Ed
How Do You “Come Out” as a Sex Therapist, Educator, or Researcher?
May 29, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Whenever someone asks what I do for a living, I have a decision to make: do I “out” myself as a sex scientist, or do I give a generic answer...
Psychology
Penis Enlargement Surgery Is Risky–And There’s Little Evidence That It Works
May 22, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Penis size is a common body concern among men. While most guys report being satisfied with the size of their genitals, a sizable minority say they’re unhappy. For example, in...
Myth vs Fact, Sex Tips
This Sex Position Increases The Odds Of Simultaneous Orgasm For Men And Women
May 20, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
As a sex researcher, I’ve learned a lot about what it is that people fantasize about when it comes sex. In many of the fantasies I’ve heard, something I’ve noticed...
Sex Q&A
Why Spooning After Sex Might Be Good For Your Love Life
April 3, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
What do you do after sex? Some people like to spoon or cuddle, others go to sleep, and yet others get up to grab something to eat or drink. But...
Dating & Relationships
7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Orgasms
March 27, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The science of orgasm is a fascinating subject. In this post, we’ll take a look at seven of the most interesting things scientists have discovered about orgasms. What to learn...
Sex Ed
5 Things Americans’ Google Searches Have Taught Us About Sex
March 20, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
In the last few years, Google Trends has become a favored research tools of sex scientists. Because not everyone is willing to participate in sex studies for various reasons, Google...
Sex Ed
Why A Lot Of Gay Men Are Attracted To Straight Men
February 27, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Pornhub’s annual year-in-review always offers tantalizing insights into what it is that turns people on—and last year’s review was no exception. I recently wrote about some of the top search...
LGBTQIA+
How Long People Want Sex To Last Versus How Long Sex Actually Lasts
January 28, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
How long do you want to spend on sex? And how long do you actually spend on sex when you have it? Research suggests that there’s often a discrepancy in...
Sex Ed
Eight Things Science Taught Us About Sex In 2018
December 26, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
2018 has been memorable for a lot of reasons—including what science taught us about sex. Here’s a quick recap of some of the most interesting things we learned about sex...
Sex Ed
Holiday Shopping Ideas For The Sexy People In Your Life
December 14, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
If you aren’t quite finished with your holiday shopping or (like me) haven’t even started yet, allow me to make your job a little easier this year. If you're in...
Potpourri
We’ve Just Entered The Season of Sex: People Have More Sex in December
December 7, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Research suggests that, on average, people tend to have more sex in the summer than they do in the winter; however, December is the exception to the winter sex slump....
Potpourri, Videos
10 Facts About Cheating And Infidelity, According To Science
November 5, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Infidelity has long been a topic of interest to scientists who study sex and relationships. Over the years, they’ve uncovered a number of fascinating things about how common cheating is,...
Dating & Relationships
4 Uncommon Sexual Fantasies And What They Mean
September 10, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I have been studying the science of sex for the last ten years. During that time, I’ve learned a lot about what turns people on, from the vanilla to the...
Sex Ed
4 Things I’ll Miss About Academia—And 4 Things I Won’t
September 5, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I made a major career move this summer. After working ten years as a college professor, I decided it was time for something new: I left academia to become a...
Psychology
Where Do Our Sex Fantasies Come From?
July 11, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
What’s the source of your favorite sex fantasy? Did it emerge from a previous sexual experience? Is it from something you saw in porn or in the popular media? Or...
Sex Ed
What I Learned By Asking 4,000 Americans About Their Biggest Sex Fantasies
July 6, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
My new book, Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life, will land in bookstores next week (July...
Sex Ed
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Pegging
July 2, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Anal activities have become increasingly popular in porn—and in people’s sex lives, too. For example, changes in Pornhub search trends reveal that queries for anal sex have increased by more...
Sex Ed
7 Things That Predict Higher (Or Lower) Sexual Satisfaction
June 29, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex scientists have found that people’s sexual satisfaction seems to depend on a wide range of factors, from how often they’re having sex to the types of sexual activities they’re...
Sex Ed
The Truth About Unwanted Sexual Arousal (VIDEO)
May 23, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Scientists who study sexual arousal have found that when they show participants a pornographic video, many people (especially women) show signs of genital arousal while simultaneously reporting that they do...
Sex Ed, Videos
Is Erectile Dysfunction Really on the Rise in Young Men?
April 27, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
In the popular media, it’s easy to find claims of a rising “epidemic” of erectile dysfunction in young men. For example, this article argues that the rate of ED in...
Myth vs Fact, Sex Tips
When It Comes To Sex, “Average” and “Normal” Don’t Mean the Same Thing
April 25, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
People email me with questions about their sex lives all the time. More often than not, these questions boil down to the same theme: "Am I normal?"A lot of folks...
Media & Culture
How Many Gay Men Say They Are Bisexual When They’re Coming Out?
April 16, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
In an episode of the classic television series Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw discovers that a guy she's seeing has dated both men and women. Uncomfortable with the thought...
LGBTQIA+
Changes In Americans’ Attitudes Toward And Experiences With Infidelity In The Last Two Decades
April 9, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Are Americans today more or less likely to cheat on their spouses than they were in the past? And how have their attitudes toward infidelity changed—have they become more or...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
Shades of Gay: Is There a Real Difference Between a Kinsey 5 and a Kinsey 6?
March 26, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
People tend to think about sexual orientation in terms of a small number of distinct categories—most commonly, straight, bisexual, and gay. Those who subscribe to this view expect that everyone...
LGBTQIA+
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Cuckolding
March 12, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Some people are turned on by thought of watching their partner have sex with someone else. This fantasy goes by many names, but it is often referred to as cuckolding...
Sex Ed
10 Things You Should Know About Oral Sex
February 9, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
How many people have had oral sex? Do men and women have similar feelings about this activity? Does oral sex "count" as sex? In this post, we'll take a look...
Sex Ed
We’ve Reached Peak Online Dating Season
January 5, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
The busiest time of year for online dating is the nearly two-month stretch that runs from the day after Christmas through Valentine’s Day. It reaches its peak on the Sunday...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
We’re In Peak Online Dating Season. Here’s Why
January 4, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
The busiest time of year for online dating is the nearly two-month stretch that runs from the day after Christmas through Valentine’s Day. It reaches its peak on the Sunday...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
Monogamy Can’t Be Assumed—It Needs To Be Negotiated And Defined
January 3, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
What does it mean to be in a monogamous relationship? It depends who you ask. In the modern world, it has become increasingly difficult to define “monogamy” in any kind...
Dating & Relationships
The Year in Sex: The 10 Most-Read Articles on Sex and Psychology in 2017
December 29, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
As 2017 winds down, let's take a look back at this year's ten most read articles on Sex and Psychology. The following posts represent an incredibly diverse range of content...
Potpourri
The Season of Sex: Sex Trends in December (Video)
December 15, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Generally speaking, people tend to have more sex in the summer months than they do in the winter months; however, December is the exception to this winter sex slump. In...
Potpourri, Videos
What Your Eyes Reveal About Your Sexual Orientation
November 24, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex scientists have a lot of tools to choose from when it comes to measuring people’s sexual orientation. However, every tool poses a unique set of challenges.The most straightforward way...
LGBTQIA+
The Psychology of Human Sexuality (2nd Edition) is Now in Print!
November 20, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
I've taught human sexuality courses in colleges and universities for more than a decade. Teaching a course on this subject obviously poses a number of unique challenges, but one of...
Psychology
STD Rates Are Rising, But It’s Not Because of Tinder and Grindr
November 13, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
In the modern world, we have a tendency to blame almost all of our problems on technology--and this is especially true when it comes to sexual problems. For example, I’ve...
Sex Ed
What Does (And Doesn’t) Predict Divorce, According To Science
October 23, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Social scientists have long been interested in the factors that predict divorce. Over the years, they’ve identified a number of things that seem to increase the odds of a couple...
Dating & Relationships
How Sexual and Non-Sexual Communication Differ
September 15, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Communicating early and often about sex is one of the keys to a successful long-term romantic relationship. Indeed, research has consistently found that the more sexual communication couples engage in,...
Sex Ed
Americans’ Attitudes Toward and Experiences with Sex Toys and Sexual Media (Infographic)
August 30, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
To date, most national sex surveys in America have focused on people's attitudes toward and experiences with a relatively narrow range of sexual behaviors, namely: vaginal intercourse, oral sex, anal...
Sex Ed
5 Fascinating Things Americans’ Google Searches Have Taught Us About Sex
July 14, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Google Trends has quickly become one of the favorite research tools of sex scientists. Why? In part, because not everyone is willing to participate in sex studies and, among those...
Sex Ed
The Season of Sex: Why Sexual Activity Peaks in the Summer
July 10, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
In the animal kingdom, there are some species that only mate seasonally. They do it just a few times per year, coinciding with their fertile periods. Humans, by contrast, are...
Sex Ed
Genital Arousal and Sexual Desire Aren’t Necessarily the Same Thing
June 12, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Scientists who study sexual desire have long been wary of over-relying on self-report data because people don’t always tell the truth on surveys. Some people answer questions about what turns...
Sex Ed
The Way We Think About Teen Sexting is All Wrong (Video)
June 7, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Teen sexting is an issue that parents and politicians alike are increasingly worried about. The message they’ve been sending to teens has been pretty uniform: don’t do it. Of course,...
Videos
Why We Crave Sexual Novelty–And What It Means For Our Sex Lives
April 28, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
When our interest in sex starts to wane, exposure to a new or novel partner has a way of bringing it back. This phenomenon--formally dubbed the Coolidge Effect--got its name...
Sex Ed
The Unique Benefits of a Consensually Non-Monogamous Relationship
April 24, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
In a consensually non-monogamous (CNM) relationship, the partners involved agree that having more than one sexual and/or romantic partner at the same time is permissible. Although interest in CNM relationships...
Dating & Relationships
Why Americans Are Having Less Sex—And What It Means
April 12, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
I recently blogged about the results of a new study reporting that Americans today are having less sex than they were a quarter century ago. Specifically, this research suggests that...
Sex Ed
The Top 10 Questions on Sex and Psychology
March 31, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
For today's post, I have put together an updated list of the ten most read Q&As of all time on the blog. As you'll see, these questions (all submitted by...
Sex Q&A
Erotic Lactation: Exploring Men’s Breast Milk Fetishes
March 20, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
People can develop fetishes for virtually anything. Most commonly, though, we're talking about a specific body part (like feet or toes) or an object associated with the body (like boots,...
Kink & BDSM
7 Things You Should Know About Consensually Non-Monogamous Relationships
March 1, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
In consensually non-monogamous (CNM) relationships, the partners involved agree that having more than one sexual and/or romantic relationship at the same time is acceptable. There are a great many myths...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
10 Things To Know About Condoms for #NationalCondomMonth
February 6, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
February has been declared National Condom Month by the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA). For my part in helping to increase awareness and education about condoms this February, I’ve complied...
Safe Sex
Sex Research Literacy in an Era of Fake, Biased, and Sensationalized News
February 1, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Most popular media reports touting the results of the latest sex study suffer from one of the following problems: they're either inaccurate, biased, or highly sensationalized. Unfortunately, too few readers...
Media & Culture
Golden Showers and Watersports: How Many People are Sexually Aroused by Urine and Why?
January 27, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
For the last two weeks, I’ve been inundated with both reader questions and requests for media interviews on a topic I’ve rarely been asked about before: urophilia, which refers to...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Q&A
The Year In Sex: The 10 Most Read Articles on Sex & Psychology in 2016
December 30, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
As 2016 comes to a close, let's take a look back at this year's ten most read articles on Sex and Psychology. The following posts represent an incredibly diverse range...
Potpourri
Is Cuckolding the New Swinging?
December 14, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
A few months ago, I blogged about a new study showing that Americans’ interest in consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is on the rise. In this study, social psychologist Amy Moors analyzed...
Sex Ed
Fifth Blogiversary of Sex and Psychology
December 14, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex and Psychology is officially five years old! When I first started this blog in 2011, I had no idea what kind of response it would receive, but I couldn't...
Potpourri
3 Studies Refute Idea that Exposure to Sexy Centerfolds Harms Men’s Relationships
November 30, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
A study from the 1980s found that heterosexual men who viewed images of Playboy and Penthouse centerfolds reported less love for their romantic partners than men who saw images of...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
Highlights From a Sex Research Conference
November 28, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
A few weeks ago, I attended the annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS). I’ve been going to this conference for a few years in...
Sex Ed
Your Biggest Questions About Anal Sex, Answered
November 23, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
As someone who's in the business of sex education, I get asked sex questions all of the time. These questions cover every topic you can possibly imagine, with one of...
Sex Ed
Can Men Who Identify as Gay Still be Aroused by Women?
October 5, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Many people think about sexual orientation in terms of just three distinct categories: straight, bisexual, and gay. Those who subscribe to this view usually don’t allow for anything in between—they...
LGBTQIA+
“Transitional Bisexuality”: Why Some Gay Men First Come Out As Bisexual
September 21, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
On one episode of the popular television series Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw discovers that the guy she's currently seeing had dated both men and women in the past....
LGBTQIA+
How Long Should Sex Last?
August 12, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“How long is sex supposed to last?”If you ask around, you’ll undoubtedly come across a lot of different answers to this question. For instance, let’s...
Sex Q&A
5 Unintended Ways Pokemon GO is Changing Our Sex Lives
August 3, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
If you’re anything like me, your newsfeed has probably been dominanted with articles about the popular gaming app Pokémon GO for the past few weeks. Most of the stories to...
Potpourri
What’s “Normal” When It Comes To Sex?
August 1, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Virtually every day, I receive emails from people around the world who have questions about their sex lives. More often than not, these questions can be reduced to the same...
Sex Ed
Why Was There So Much Gay Sex At The RNC? A Social Psychologist Explains
July 27, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
At last week’s Republican National Convention (RNC) in Cleveland, reports are that a lot of sex was going on behind the scenes—a lot of gay sex to be precise. For...
LGBTQIA+
Why Do So Many Conservative Men Wind Up In Sex Scandals With Other Men?
July 27, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
If you follow the news closely, you've probably noticed that, month after month, reports emerge about politically or religiously conservative men who find themselves embroiled in scandals in which they...
LGBTQIA+
Macrophilia: Sexual Attraction to Giants and Giantesses
January 20, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Sigmund Freud once argued that human beings are "polymorphously perverse," meaning that we have the potential to develop a sexual interest in virtually anything. Yes, we all know that Freud...
Kink & BDSM
The 10 Most Read Articles on Sex and Psychology in 2015
December 13, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
As 2015 comes to a close, let's take a look back at this year's most read articles on Sex and Psychology. The ten posts that follow represent an incredibly diverse...
Potpourri
Sex Question Friday: How Deep Is The Average Vagina?
November 29, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:"How deep is a typical vagina? I hear a lot about penis size, but what about vagina size? Does size vary across nations?"Thanks for these...
Sex Ed
Holiday Shopping Inspiration For The Sexy People In Your Life
November 23, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
The holiday shopping season is rapidly coming to a close, but a lot of folks aren't quite finished and some haven't even started yet. If you're in need of shopping...
Potpourri
The Top 10 Questions On Sex And Psychology
October 9, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
For this week’s edition of Sex Question Friday, I’ve put together an updated list of the ten most read Q&A posts of all time from this site. These questions (all...
Sex Q&A
A Century Of Sex Laws
October 9, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
When it comes to sex, a lot of what we think of as being "normal" today was illegal and carried serious punishments in the not-too-distant past. For instance, federal law...
Media & Culture
10 Scientific Facts About Masturbation
October 4, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
How much do you know about masturbation? Here’s a look at some of the main things scientists have learned over the years from studying self-love, including who does it, why...
Sex Ed
Announcing The 3rd Annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference!
September 4, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
I am pleased to announce that for the third year in a row, there will be a Sexuality Pre-Conference prior to the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and...
Sex Ed
Interview With The Sex Researcher: Dr. Nicole Prause
July 29, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
If you're a regular reader of this blog, then you're probably a fan of sex research. But have you ever wondered who is behind the fascinating studies and theories discussed...
Interviews
Feeder Fetishes: The World Of Erotic Eating And Weight Gain
July 29, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Feederism has been described as "a fat fetish focused on erotic eating, feeding, and gaining weight." There are two basic types of people who exist in this fetish culture: feeders...
Kink & BDSM, Videos
The 5 Most Unusual Sex Toys You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
June 22, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
During the last few decades, sex toys have undergone a major transformation. Manufacturers have gone from producing toys with extremely utilitarian designs to those that pay a lot of attention...
Potpourri
How Common Is Sexual Interest In Prepubescent Children Among Men?
April 24, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Little research has attempted to determine the prevalence of sexual interest in prepubescent children among adult men. The studies that do exist have tended to involve small, non-representative samples, and...
Sex Ed
Scientists Measured 15,521 Penises And This Is What They Found
March 6, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
A recent paper published in the British Journal of Urology International reports results from the first systematic review of all penis size studies to date in order to provide a...
Sex Ed
Sex Question Friday: Why Are Some People Aroused By Sexual Humiliation?
March 6, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question: “I wanted to inquire into a ‘strange’ fetish where the man likes his woman to convince him he has undersized manhood. ‘Small penis humiliation’...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Q&A
Sex Question Friday: Is There A Link Between Cuckold Fantasies And Premature Ejaculation?
January 4, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a male reader who asked the following:“I ejaculate prematurely when I...
Sex Q&A
Scientists Conclude That Squirting Is Just “An Involuntary Emission Of Urine”
January 2, 2015 by Justin Lehmiller
Female ejaculation is one of those topics that consistently generates a lot of debate among scientists and laypersons alike. The debate isn’t so much about whether female ejaculation is real...
Sex Ed
10 Surprising Facts About Birth Control
December 19, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Did you know that Lysol and Coca-Cola used to be used as contraceptives? Or that usage of birth control pills is related not only to what women pay attention to...
Safe Sex
The 10 Sexiest Stories Of 2014
December 18, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
For my final post of the year, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the most read articles on Sex and Psychology in 2014 to...
Potpourri
Holiday Gift Ideas For The Sexy People In Your Life
November 25, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
The 2014 holiday shopping season is officially underway and I know that many of you will soon be racking your brains as you try to come up with gift ideas...
Potpourri
More Scientific Evidence That Bisexuality Is A Distinct Sexual Orientation
October 31, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Bisexuality is a controversial sexual orientation among both scientists and laypersons alike. Indeed, there is a popular stereotype that bisexuality “is just a layover on the way to gaytown” (if...
LGBTQIA+
Sex Question Friday: Is It Normal To Fantasize About Your Partner Having Sex With Someone Else?
October 24, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a female reader who wanted to know the following:“Is it normal...
Sex Q&A
People In Conservative States Google The Most Online Sexual Content
October 16, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
It is no great secret that political and religious conservatives in the United States have a tendency to disapprove of any kind of sexual activity that is inconsistent with “traditional...
Sex Ed
The 10 Most Popular Questions On Sex And Psychology
September 8, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
For this week’s edition of Sex Question Friday, I’ve compiled a list of the ten most read answers to readers’ sex questions. These questions span quite a range of topics,...
Sex Q&A
Sex Question Friday: Is Simultaneous Orgasm Possible For Straight Couples?
August 28, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know the following:“Is it really possible...
Sex Q&A
The Appeal Of The MILF
August 25, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
In the book A Billion Wicked Thoughts, neuroscientists Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam analyzed the contents of over a billion searches on some of the most popular porn sites. Among...
Sex Ed
Sex Question Friday: How Can We Make Anal Sex More Pleasurable?
August 7, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a male reader who wanted to know more about the topic...
Sex Q&A
Why You Shouldn’t Get Your Sex News From Katie Couric
July 10, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Katie Couric recently ran a segment on her show entitled “How To Prevent Your Kids From Watching Porn.” The title of the segment makes the agenda clear: all pornography is...
Media & Culture
Sex Question Friday: Why Are So Many Straight Guys Turned On By “Squirting?”
July 3, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know the following:“I can’t help but...
Sex Q&A
6 Fascinating Ways Technology Is Changing Our Sex Lives
July 2, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Over the last few years, we have increasingly incorporated technology into our sex lives. For instance, people are using cameras and computers to create their own amateur porn and share...
Potpourri
Sex Question Friday: Where Does Asexuality Come From?
May 23, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know more about the origin of...
Sex Q&A
Do Women’s Genital Arousal Patterns Change When They’re Ovulating?
May 14, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Several studies have found that when heterosexual women view different types of pornography, they tend to show a nonspecific genital arousal pattern with respect to the gender of the performers...
Sex Ed
Bug Chasing and Gift Giving: The Underground Culture Where HIV Is Fetishized
April 25, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
A new porn film entitled Viral Loads has earned quite a bit of attention for its graphic depictions of guys who are eager to give and receive HIV through man-on-man...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
The Psychology of Human Sexuality Is Now In Print!
April 14, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
I have been teaching college level human sexuality courses for nearly a decade. However, during all of that time, I could never find the right textbook. Certainly, there are a...
Psychology
Sex Question Friday: Why Do So Many Guys Like To Give “Facials?”
April 11, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question centers around the rather controversial topic of facials—and I don’t mean the kind...
Sex Q&A
Sex Question Friday: How Does Female-To-Male Sex Reassignment Surgery Work?
March 7, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know the following:For female-to-male transsexual individuals,...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
Almost Everything And Everyone Seems More Attractive When You’re Sexually Aroused
February 12, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
How attractive do you find the prospect of sex with animals? Do you think it would be fun to watch another person urinate? Do you find shoes erotic? If you’re...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Ed
Myths About Lesbian Sex Debunked By Science
January 1, 2014 by Justin Lehmiller
When it comes to lesbian sex, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions. On the one hand, many people think lesbians are constantly “scissoring,” and on the other hand,...
LGBTQIA+
The 10 Sexiest Stories of 2013
December 30, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
For my final post of the year, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the most read articles on The Psychology of Human Sexuality in...
Potpourri
How Many People Are Using Their Smartphones During Sex?
December 13, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
A recent survey of over 2,000 adult Americans revealed that, among smartphone users,1 in 10 reported having used their phone during sex. Naturally, this made me curious about what people...
Sex Ed
Holiday Shopping Ideas For The Sexy People On Your List
December 9, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Can’t decide what to buy for all of those sexy people in your life this holiday season? Tired of giving lingerie and skimpy underwear year after year? Let me make...
Potpourri
What I Learned By Attending A Sex Conference
November 20, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
This past weekend, I attended the annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS). Although I have been a sex educator and researcher for quite some...
Psychology
How Men Feel About Their Own Penises (Infographic)
September 25, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
When it comes to penises, many people appear to subscribe to the belief that "bigger is better." We see this in the world of porn, which tends to glorify men...
Sex Ed
Sex Question Friday: Are Men More Visually Aroused Than Women?
September 13, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know whether there is any support...
Gender, Sex Q&A
Sex Question Friday: Can A Man Fantasize About Another Man And Still Be “Straight?”
September 6, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know whether a guy can still...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
How Many Kids Today Are Sexting?
August 26, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Numerous media reports have appeared recently suggesting that there has been an “explosion” of sexting behavior among adolescents, which is just the latest in a string of claims about the...
Sex Ed
Celebrating 60 Years Of Kinsey’s “Sexual Behavior In The Human Female”
August 20, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Sixty years ago today (August 20, 1953), the media first reported on the findings of Alfred Kinsey's classic book Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. It was the first book...
Media & Culture
Are Sexting And Cybersex Signs of Loneliness And Low Self-Esteem?
August 12, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
In a recent New York Times editorial, author Susan Jacoby laments the increasingly popularity of “sexting,” cybersex, and other such virtual connections. Jacoby argues that virtual sex lacks the sensuality...
Media & Culture, Myth vs Fact
One Million Pages Of Sex
July 2, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
I founded The Psychology of Human Sexuality one and a half years ago in order to share the science of sex, love, and relationships in a way that is both...
Potpourri
Sex Question Friday: What Do We Know About Asexuality?
June 14, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know more about asexuals, or persons...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
Americans’ Views On Sexual Morality Are Changing
June 7, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Gallup recently conducted their annual Values and Beliefs survey and discovered that Americans’ views on sexual morality have shifted significantly in the last dozen years, with particularly notable changes in...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
Sex Question Friday: What Is The Best Sexual Position?
May 17, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know the best sexual position for...
Sex Q&A
Sex Question Friday: Are Bisexuals Usually More Attracted To One Sex?
May 10, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know whether it is common for...
LGBTQIA+
Does Penis Enlargement Surgery Really Work?
May 6, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
One of the most common concerns men have about their bodies is the size of their penis. Research indicates that 35% of gay men1 and 45% of heterosexual men2 say...
Sex Tips
Sex Question Friday: Are There Any Universal Truths When It Comes To Sex?
February 8, 2013 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader who wanted to know whether sex research can or...
Sex Q&A
The Ten Sexiest Stories of 2012
December 31, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
For my last post of the year, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the most read articles on The Psychology of Human Sexuality in...
Potpourri
Holiday Shopping Ideas For Needy Sexy People
December 12, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Can’t decide what to buy for all of those sexy people in your life this holiday season? Tired of giving lingerie and novelty underwear year after year? Let me make...
Potpourri
Sex Question Friday: I Want To Watch My Wife Sleep With Someone Else. Is That Normal?
November 23, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader of the blog who wants to see his wife...
Sex Q&A
Sex Question Friday: Do You Dare To Bare? Why Is Pubic Hair Shaving So Common?
September 7, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer people’s questions about sex, love, and relationships. This week’s question comes from a reader of the site who wanted to know more about...
Sex Q&A
Are Women Really More Likely To Be Bisexual Than Men?
July 30, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
I recently posted an article in which I concluded that “while it is indeed possible for both men and women to be bisexual, evidence from a variety of sources suggests...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
Sex Question Friday: My Boyfriend Likes Wearing Women’s Stockings. Is He Gay?
July 27, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Every time I tell someone what I do for a living, they take it as an opportunity to get some free sex and relationship advice. I don’t really mind because...
Sex Q&A
Is “Fifty Shades Of Grey” An Accurate Depiction Of The BDSM Community?
July 23, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
“Why don’t you like to be touched?” I whisper, staring up into soft gray eyes. “Because I’m fifty shades of f*cked up, Anastasia.” – Excerpt from Fifty Shades of Grey...
Sex Ed
A Top Ten List of Women’s Sexual Fantasies: Zac Efron, Fire Fighters, Batman, And More
May 11, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
A few weeks back, I posted an article about how men’s and women’s sexual fantasies differ. As I mentioned in that piece, women’s fantasies typically contain a fair amount of...
Fantasies
Sex Question Friday: Are Women More Likely To Be Bisexual Than Men?
May 4, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Every Friday on the blog, I answer sex questions submitted to me by actual college students. This week, we’re talking about bisexuality. Many students have asked me whether it is...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
Are Men Less In Love With Their Wives After Reading Playboy?
April 16, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
There is a classic study in psychology which reported that heterosexual men who viewed Playboy centerfolds were less in love with their wives than men who viewed artistic paintings [1]....
Dating & Relationships
You Are Probably More Worried About The Size of Your Breasts and Genitals Than You Should Be
February 13, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
Every day, we are bombarded with messages telling us that “bigger is better” when it comes to breasts and penises. From top-heavy Barbie dolls and female celebrities with gargantuan chests...
Gender, Sex Ed
I’m Different From The Sexual Average: Am I Still “Normal?”
January 19, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
When it comes to sex and relationships, the popular media loves to discuss these topics in terms of statistical averages. For example, what is the average number of time couples...
Myth vs Fact
Is Masturbation Bad For Your Health?
January 12, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
“Masturbation: the primary sexual activity of mankind. In the nineteenth century it was a disease; in the twentieth it's a cure.” – Thomas SzaszOne of the most common sexual topics...
Myth vs Fact, Sex Ed
Are Bisexual People Equally Aroused By Men And Women?
January 2, 2012 by Justin Lehmiller
“I’m not even sure bisexuality exists. I think it’s just a layover on the way to gaytown.”– Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City)Many of you are probably familiar with the...
LGBTQIA+, Myth vs Fact, Sex Ed
